After the angel's appearance to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus, many other angels joined in chorus.  Their task was to proclaim the glory of God in sending His Son to bring peace to human beings. The angels were expressing their own joy as well as their duty: never before had the Creator lived in a human body among His creation, with the purpose of saving them from their own sins (Luke 15:7).

Praise is a right and necessary response to whatever God does.  The angels glorify Him all the time (Psalm 103:20-21).  But most of us are temperamentally resistant to praising the Lord; we would rather that other people praised us.  We need all the encouragement we can get.  Likewise, the shepherds that night. After the angels presented their praise in public, they issued a command for the farm workers to give praise too.  And that is just what they did (Luke 2:20).

The angels also declared that God would bring peace through Jesus.  It was a different sort of peace than the world had previously known.  It was not the quiet of emotional stillness, nor a global international anti-war treaty - it was peace with God.  Only Jesus could bring an end to human rebellion against God, and to God's wrath against sin.  And He did that as He died on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20).  That peace is the root of our praise.

Alas, not all will want to receive His salvation; and for them, there is no peace (Isaiah 48:22).  But those who appreciate God's kindness in sending Jesus should want to praise.  Hymns and songs of worship can either be the lively vehicles of rejoicing in God's grace, or the dull repetition of words dredged from an empty heart.  Praise is a response.  We need to absorb what God says about Jesus and consider what great things the Lord has done for us in Christ.  As He fills our horizon we will want to rejoice in our hearts, to sing and shout His praise with our lips, and join with others to proclaim the marvellous character and wonderful works of our God.  A Christian who withholds praise is like a flower that never blooms, a bank which never opens or an art canvas without any paint.  Indeed, without praising the Lord we can never properly locate ourselves in His world or His heaven - because bringing glory and praise to God is our purpose (1 Thessalonians 5:18; 1 Peter 2:9).  Praise is for everybody: shepherds and shop workers, medics and merchants, academics and aviators, engineers and electricians, students and secretaries, drivers and dock-workers. So, wherever you live or work, make today a day of praise.